Defra defines "local food sourcing" as food both produced and sold within a limited geographical radius but which does not necessarily have any distinctive quality.' This is different from "Regional food", which is 'food produced within a particular geographical area (whether administrative region, county, town or other appellation) and is marketed as coming from that area'. Regional food is seen as having a distinctive quality because of the area or the method of production.

Local sourcing contributes to the regeneration of rural economies - the maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment being a key objective of sustainable development. Public sector bodies should therefore consider the potential for local sourcing by ensuring that their contracts do not contain provisions, which stand in the way of local and UK suppliers. Guide to Procuring Local Produce

Travelling all these miles costs a lot in terms of energy, particularly fossil fuels. EU figures calculate that road transport of food is about 400 billion tonne-kilometres.

The use of energy for the transport and handling of food is estimated to account for 16-21% of the UK's total energy bill. Food miles are only part of the fossil fuel costs of food production in the world food chain. On-farm production represents 17 percent, while processing accounts for 26 percent, distribution for 9, transportation for 11, restaurants for 15 percent, and home preparation about 23 percent.

UN statistics show an eighty fold increase in energy inputs into agriculture worldwide during the 20th century. Look at Food and Energy - another way to count calories

Oil is the most important energy source, being crucial in just about every stage of food production, from nitrogen (and phospahte) fertilsers, fuels, machinery, pesticides, drying, seeds (inputs required to produce them), before being put on the road or into the air to travel those great distances.

This dependence on oil is not sustainable. Oil is a finite resource. Oil supplies will peak around 2010 and could be exhausted by 2040. Most reserves lie in the Middle East. For more see Eating Oil.